Pump or compressor



9 3945- RIC. FORD 2,386,675

PUMP OR COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 18, 1944 2 SQsets-Sheet l Patented Oct. 9,1945 PUMP OR COLIPRESSOR Reginald Clarence Ford, Allesley, nearCoventry, England Application February 18, 1944, Serial No. 522,946 InGreat Britain February 20, 1943 2 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps or compressors of the reciprocatingplunger type and has for its object to provide an improved constructionof multiple pump or compressor of this type.

For this purpose according to the present invention the plungers of oneor more series of pump or compressor units are arranged for operation inany desired sequence directly and in a positive manner by a rotatabledriving member common to all of the several units and arranged with itsaxis parallel with those of said units.

The said units are arranged in annular series around the axis of thedriving member. The fluid to be compressed may be supplied to the barrelof each unit from a common annular supply duct and all the units maydeliver into an annular delivery duct common to all the units each ofwhich is provided with suitable nonreturn inlet and outlet valves.

The rotatable driving member consists of a cam in operative engagementwith the several plungers. The said cam may be driven either by means ofa central shaft, or by an external pulley or gear member.

The formation of the cam surface is such that the plunger of each unitmakes one or more complete reciprocations during each completerevolution of the cam, and is further such that the several units areoperated either in succession to one another or in any other-desiredsequence.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in axial plane section of a multiple pump orcompressor constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof on' the line A-A.

Figures 3 and 4 are detail views of one pair of plungers in elevationand cross-section respectively.

Referring to the construction shown in the drawings, the pump orcompressor units are arranged in two annular series one at each side ofa cam. Each unit consists of a plunger 2 and a barrel 3. The plungers ofone series are arranged in axial alignment with those of the otherseries respectively and each opposed pair of plungers are connectedtogether by means of a crosshead 4 which, as shown, may be formedintegrally therewith. The barrels of each series are formed in astationary barrel plate 5 mounted within a fixed outer casing 6, saidplates being arranged in parallel planes and secured in position bymeans of end plates 1 screwing into and closing the ends of the casing6.

The plungers of each opposed pair of units are reciprocated in theirbarrels in opposite directions simultaneously by means of a face cam 8arranged between the two series of units and carried by or formedintegrally with an enlarged part 9 of a rotatable driving shaft ID. Thisshaft is arranged with its axis parallel with those of the plungers andis mounted centrally of the casing in bearings ll formed in the endplates and is also supported by needle bearings l2 carried by the barrelplates. Each side of the cam bears against rollers l3 carried by thecross-heads of the plungers.

The admission and delivery of the fluid to and from the'barrels iscontrolled by means of nonreturn ball valves I4 carried by a stationaryvalve plate l5 arranged between each barrel plate and the adjacent endplate and are secured in position by the latter. The inner face of eachend plate is recessed to form annular admission and delivery chambersl6, l1 respectively, saidchambers communicating with inlet and outletconnections l8, l9. Ball thrust bearings 20 are arranged between thebarrel plates and each side of the enlarged part of the shaft to takethe axial load on the cam.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4 the cross-heads connecting opposed pairs ofplungers are formed at the sides with radial faces 2|, the faces of onecross-head being in sliding contact with those of adjacent cross-heads.If desired or necessary anti-friction balls or rollers may be arrangedbetween the contacting faces.

Instead of forming the end plates with annular admission and deliverychambers as shown, the barrel of each unit may have its own separate inlet and delivery connections in which case a distributor valve may beemployed to control the admission and delivery of fluid to and from theseveral units, said valve being operated in timed relation with the cam.

In the example shown the cam is formed to operate the plungers of eachseries of units in succession but it will be obvious that by a suitablecam formation the said plungers may be operated in any other desiredsequence and may be such that the plunger of each unit makes one or morecomplete reciprocations for each complete revolution of the cam.

The improved multiple pump or compressor herein described besides beingof an extremely compact and simple construction and capable of giving avery high ratio of compression, has the important advantage that theworking stresses are distributed at a large number of points therebycontributing to smooth working and increasing the useful life of thepump. Another advantage which is obtained is the reduction or absence ofpulsations in the delivery of the fluid.

I claim:

1. In a multiple pump of the character described, the combination of astationary casing having a cylindrical bore, a shaft rotatably mountedco-axially therein, a cam secured to said shaft, a barrel plate fixed insaid casing at each side of said cam and having a central hole toprovide a bearing for said shaft, each of said plates also having anannular series of openended bores formed therein with their axesparallel with the axis of said shaft, said bores constituting pumpbarrels, a piston in the barrel of each series of said barrels,cross-heads severally connecting the pistons of one series of barrels atone side of said cam with the opposite pistons of the other series, eachof said cross-heads having lateral extensions with radial edges insliding contact with the edges of similar extensions on adjacentcross-heads for the purpose of preventing rotation of said pistons abouttheir axes, rollers arranged between and in contact with each crossheadand said cam, and means for controlling the inlet and outlet of theworking fluid to and from the barrels of each series thereof.

2. In a multiple pump of the character described, the combination of astationary casing having a cylindrical bore, a shaft rotatably mountedco-axially therein, a cam secured to said shaft, a barrel plate fixed insaid casing at each side of said cam and having a central hole toprovide a bearing for said shaft, each of said plates also having anannular series of openended bores formed therein with their axesparallel with the axis of said shaft, said bores constituting pumpbarrels, a piston in the barrel of each series of said barrels,cross-heads severally connecting the pistons of one series of barrels atone side of said cam with the opposite pistons of the other series, eachof said cross-heads having lateral extensions with radial edges insliding contact with the edges of similar extensions on adjacentcross-heads for the purpose of preventing rotation of said pistons abouttheir axes, a valve plate fixed in each end of said casing and closingthe outer ends of said barrels, inlet and outlet valves in said platefor each barrel, an end plate closing each end of said casing and havinga central hole for said shaft and annular inlet and outlet ductscommunicating with said valve controlled barrels.

REGINALD CLARENCE FORD.

